There are many simple strategies you can use to increase your online revenue. RezStream helps by sharing ten easy and effective ways to make this happen. We will publish the first five tips this week and follow up next month with five more sure-fire ways to increase your online reservations.
1. Improve Your Website Design: Never underestimate the importance of “on page” design elements. It is a known fact that people look at several websites before they purchase. How does your website compare to your competitors? The answer to this question could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars! Your website is the most important path for capturing new business.
HOT TIPS:
• Make sure your website clearly explains points that set you apart on the home page. You only have 15 to 30 SECONDS to capture the interest of your visitor.
• Be confident that your website navigation sells your products and not your personal interests. List your “Accommodations” link first and
not your “Home” link, then reservations, specials, activities, and so on.
• Have clear “calls to action” throughout your website. Your booking engine or “Book Now” choice should appear more than once. Utilize several different button and calendar styles for your booking engine
• Make sure your accommodation page is standardized. Have photo, description, and “book it” choices, in that order. Major travel websites are standardized and your accommodations pages should be, too.
• Use professionally taken photographs and display them throughout the site. Remember that most people skim websites. Appeal to their senses with attractive photography and you will make more money.
• Don’t become emotionally attached to your web design. Ask five people to navigate through your site and listen to their feedback. Ask these five people the same questions about what they like, what they don’t like, and if they would visit this website again. Reward their advice by giving them a Starbucks gift card.
• Video is critical and guest video testimonials are the latest trend. Who is telling your story? Happy guests tell it best.
2. Pay Per Click (PPC) Marketing: PPC gets a bad rap as being too expensive, unreliable and not trustworthy. The real fact is that Google makes billions every year due to Adwords, which works for a large percentage of people. 99% of the time, you will see a positive ROI on a professionally managed PPC campaign.
HOT TIPS:
• Have a professional manage your PPC account. This practice will save money on your budget and in turn, make more money online.
• If you are in a competitive area, try geo-targeting some of the top cities or states where your business comes from.
• Expand into international marketing; PPC is a great place to start.
• Make sure your ad stands out in the crowd! Use numbers in your ad copy and promote specials. Highlight how much the customer will save. What makes you different should be your focus.
• Do not waste money with default Google settings.
3. Local Search Engine Marketing: Search engines show local results at the top of the search engines just under the top PPC ads for many key search terms. Utilize valuable exposure in the local listings.
HOT TIPS:
• Make sure you are listed in Google local, Yahoo local, and Bing local. (These are different than just being listed in Yahoo in general).
• Pick custom categories in Google local based on keyword research.
• Promote videos in Google local.
• Create custom coupons to promote specials in Google local.
• Make sure to use appealing, professional photos in local listings.
4. Directory Submissions: There are thousands of directories. Which ones are worth your marketing dollars? Remember that directories can be very lucrative in the right market.
HOT TIPS:
• Have a professional search engine company recommend which directories are best. These companies collect independent stats. Most directories slant their stats to convince you to choose them.
• Search for key terms in relation to your product and see if the directory shows up in the Google search results.
• Ask for a few months free to allow the directories to prove themselves.
• Track results. Don’t just take a directory’s stats at face value.
• Set up Google alerts on your competition to see where they are getting their new incoming links.
• Use the Yahoo Site Explorer to view existing links of your competitors.
5. Email Marketing: This is a fast and easy way to respond to past guests or people that have requested information from you. One to two email blasts a month is a great way to accumulate additional revenue.
HOT TIPS:
• Make the email blast look and feel like your website.
• Use special promo codes for specials or packages that cannot be booked online to track the results of the email marketing campaign.
• Be sure to remove anyone that has already booked when sending a time sensitive email blast. No need for these guests to request a discount when they have already committed to pay full price.
Conclusion:
Make sure your website is in tiptop shape first and then focus on driving more quality traffic to it. Although a number of people with websites think, “anyone can do Internet marketing,” it is a wise practice to allot marketing dollars for this complex science. Your best bet is to hire a qualified professional who will dedicate time each and every month to work on your search engine visibility. This practice will make you more money and in the long run, guarantee a better bottom line.
Next month, RezStream will finish this article by publishing tips six through ten on effective ways to get more online bookings.
